Last year, astronomers noticed an interstellar comet that flies through our Solar system. A recent study of the chemical composition of the object, scientists have found some unusual results.
The researchers found that the comet Borisov is probably formed on the edge of their system, far from their stars at very low temperatures.
To study the comet, astronomers sent on her system of radio telescopes ALMA, which is capable of scanning electromagnetic radiation, and may help to understand the chemical composition of large and small facilities in other parts of the Universe.
Observations showed that the comet leaves gas, containing an unusually large amount of carbon monoxide. This chemical in the comet Borisov was found more than any comet close to the Sun.
Usually in comets of our Solar system water is the most common molecule. But the comet Borisov is 1.7 times more carbon monoxide than water. “This is the first time we looked inside the comet, which came to us from outside our Solar system,” – said astrochemist Martin Cordiner in a statement. “And she’s very different from most other comets we’ve seen before.”
Comet Borisov fascinates scientists in part because she spent most of the time far from the star, in very cold conditions. Thus, its internal structure remains intact and can give you an idea of what happened when she was born. Cold environment vnutripuzarnogo space kept the comet, when she traveled towards the Ground, and this means that its composition probably remained the same as it was since its formation.
Comet Borisov is the second space object (asteroid after Omului), arrived in the Solar system from interstellar space. Initially the researchers expected that its composition is rather identical with the comets of our system.
